


The Prodigy

by elliottgraywrites



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gay, Hogwarts, M/M, Magic, Multi, The Deathly Hallows, Wizarding World (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:00:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27791149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elliottgraywrites/pseuds/elliottgraywrites
Summary: Albus Dumbledore is 18 and fed up with his small-town lifestyle, forced to stay home and care for his ill sister, he dreams of a life of discovery and achievement. When Gellert Grindelwald moves in next door Albus thinks he might have found his escape, when a journey of trust, love, loss, and ambition comes to an end what will Albus choose?A Dumbledore and Grindelwald romance that dives into the motivation and drive that led two wizards down opposite pathways.ON PAUSE!!! Working on other writing, this will continue asap!!Disclaimer: I don't support JK Rowling's disgusting transphobic views and refuse to support her.
Relationships: Aberforth Dumbledore & Albus Dumbledore, Aberforth Dumbledore & Albus Dumbledore & Ariana Dumbledore, Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald
Comments: 9
Kudos: 15
Collections: Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald, Harry Potter Fic





	1. An Intoduction

**Author's Note:**

> The only non-canon compliant elements of this story are the timeline. In canon, Dumbledore and Grindlewald meet during the summer and Ariana dies sometime around the end of August 1899 (although this is changed in the movie where it says she dies sometime in 1900), this was a personal choice because I like writing an autumn romance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I wanted to add a bit of a disclaimer: I write Ariana as a victim of childhood sexual assault, something I myself did experience. This isn't completely canon-compliant, but it was always been how it came off to me. During this time, those suffering from mental illness such as PTSD were often called crazy, locked up in institutions, or worse tortured and experimented on. This is my reasoning for Ariana's condition, this isn't canon and could be triggering for some readers. I don't describe anything in graphic detail but the idea of r*pe is mentioned a few times.

Part 1: Albus  
 **September 1, 1899**

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore awoke at early dawn. The sun's yellow rays had just begun to shine through his blue velvet curtains, and the room was small and comfortable just like he liked it. Each wall was lined floor to ceiling with leather-bound books, all of which he had read, of course. He rubbed his eyes, his vision blurry, he reached his hand to his wooden nightstand fumbling for his glasses. When he finally adjusted them to eye level, he glanced at his reflection on the hanging mirror above his bed. He ran a hand through his almond-colored hair, his eyes were a bright blue, and his features sharp and attractive. Although he missed the sand-colored hair of his youth, Albus was pleased with his appearance, he knew it was one that people would take seriously, that would get him places.

He waves his wand "Lumos" and the tip illuminated. He pulled off the covers and made the bed even though he knew the house-elf would be along to remake it anyway. He tiptoed out of his room careful not to wake his snoring brother next door. The wood panels creaked beneath his bare feet.

"Silencio" he commanded and the house obeyed. He continued down the carpeted stairwell until he reached the landing.

"Would you like some tea mister?" the shrill giggle of his little sister caught his ear.

"That would be lovely" A deep voice responded. Albus hefted his wand, he didn't know who the intruder was, but he needed to be ready. His father had been carted off to prison ages ago and his mother had been dead for months now, there should have been no one in the house except for himself and his brother and sister.

Albus crept closer to the open archway that led to the kitchen, he jumped into the opening and pointed at the figure "Petrificus Totalus" he yelled. The male figure snapped into a straight position, his legs locking in perfect posture. Albus strolled into the room confidently.

"Albus" Ariana cried "he's my friend". The boy, standing in the Dumbledore's blue linoleum kitchen, looked about Albus's age, 18. He was a bit shorter than Albus, and his hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes were so blonde they were almost white. He wore dark robes that made his pale complexion even more startling.

"Who is this" Albus asked Ariana pointedly.

She's taken to lying down on the green couch, her feet placed lazily on a pillow with her thumb placed in her mouth. She shrugged "just moved in, I think".

Albus turned to the boy, who was still standing rigid upright unable to move. He gave Albus a desperate movement of his head to indicate a nod. Albus released him but kept his want pointed at the boy's chest.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

The boy's expression immediately relaxed, a cocky smile playing at his lips, "Wow", he said lazily, "You're intense". When Albus didn't respond, he continued. "I'm Gellert. Gellert Grindelwald, I just moved in. Bathilda's my aunt".

Albus immediately relaxed, the old woman had mentioned the week before of her great nephew's arrival.

"Sorry about that", he muttered.

"Hey" Gellert grinned "don't apologize. That was raw talent". He held out his hand, and Albus shook it.

"Albus Dumbledore".

He turned back to the teapot Ariana had put on, it was whistling. He switched it off and opened the cabinet, pulling out three cups. He poured the dark liquid into the mugs. "Cream or sugar?" He asked Gellert politely. Gellert shook his head, he liked it black, just like Albus. Albus dropped three sugar cubes in for his little sister and brought over the cups in a tray. He sat across from Gellert, and Ariana jumped up to join them, squashing down in the chair next to their new neighbor.

"So," Albus asked, "what brings you to town?"

Gellert's face flickered, "Ended my studies early, decided to give London a try".

"We aren't really that close to London," Albus remarked suspiciously.

Gellert laughed, "Right you are, my parents believed I needed 'supervision' '' He made air quotes with his fingers. "And my aunt Bathilda is the closest relative I have near the city".

"Where did you go to school?" Albus asked. He was sure he would have recognized Gellert if he attended Hogwarts.

"Durmstrang" Gellert said, he puffed up his chest as if this was something to be proud of. Maybe where he came from, the school didn't have the same sort of reputation. He sipped his tea, the bittersweet taste of the herbs lighting up his taste buds, the caffeine waking his senses up.

"So" Albus prompted "What can I do for you?"

Gellert chewed on his lip, "My aunt was under the impression you would show me around the neighborhood". He glanced at Albus, "But she said I should catch you early, before you begin your research".

Albus nodded, he didn't need any more friends, but he knew it was always good to have more allies. "Sure," he said, "let me get Ariana her medicine, and then I can show you around".

"Medicine?" Gellert glanced at Ariana curiously. She was chewing on her fingernail now, her long brown hair swinging into her face, and she was drooling a bit. She was still wearing her pink silk pajamas, the ones his mother had made for her years ago before the accident. They were a bit short now, so her pale shins peaked out at the bottom of the pant leg.

Albus nodded "Ariana is sick, so she must take medicine to maintain her condition". The lie he always told, the one that always worked, the one that prevented the questions.

"Come Ariana" He pulled his sister by the arm.

She got up willingly, "Bye-bye Gellert", she called.

He waved back smiling at her. Albus marched her up the stairs to her bedroom on the second floor. "You mustn't let strangers in, Ariana", he chided her.

"He's not a stranger", Ariana argued, "he's Batty's nephew".

"But he could have been", Albus said sternly, "and you should refer to her as Ms. Bagshot". He pulled open the drawer and pulled out the bottle of clear watery white potion. He shook it and ladled it out on a spoon. The liquid shimmered, "open" Albus commanded. He poured the liquid down her throat. Ariana coughed and swallowed.

"She lets me call her Batty", she mumbled lying down on her white sheets, her head squashed against the pink pillow.

Albus shook his head and walked out of the room, "You've never even met her", he muttered, closing the door.

He made his way down the stairs, Aberforth's lights were still shut off, his snores coming through the cracks of the door frame. He found Gellert flipping through a book about spell combining that had once been on the kitchen bookshelf.

"You shouldn't take things that aren't yours", Albus said sternly.

Gellert held up his hands, "I apologize. It just looked interesting".

Albus nodded and gestured for Gellert to follow him as he stepped out the wooden door onto the front lawn. The grass was perfectly trimmed, and his mother's flower garden was still blooming in the late summer warmth. The yellow daisies and purple violets were kept up by his younger brother. He led Gellert around the few blocks gesturing and explaining the family's who lived there. They reached a small graveyard and Albus made sure to point out the grave of Godric Gryffindor, though he supposed that, to a northerner, it might not mean as much. Finally, he led Gellert full circle back in the direction of his house, stopping at the stone well between their respective houses.

Gellert glanced at the well, "Have a coin?"

Albus dug in his pocket and pulled out two bronze knuts, he passed one to his neighbor. Gellert closed his eyes and tossed the coin into the well in an almost spiritual way. Albus closed his eyes too, thinking of his wish. " _I wish to be successful, and to make an important impact", h_ e thought. Then he tossed his own coin into the well, listening for the splash at the bottom.

As they walked back towards the Dumbledore house Gellert asked, "So what is your research about?"

Albus shifted, he didn't like to confide in others about his work until he had proof that he was the one to have found it. But strangely, Albus thought he could trust Gellert, he seemed genuinely curious.

"Dragon's blood", Albus explained, "I'm discovering alternative uses for it".

"Fascinating", Gellert said sincerely, "you must show me sometime".

Albus nodded stiffly, "Anytime you like".

Gellert's eyes lit up, "How about right now", he suggested.

Albus shrugged "All right". He opened the door with a wave of his wand and removed his leather shoes. Gellert did the same. Aberforth had gotten up since their departure and the house smelled of eggs and sausages. His brother was shuffling around the kitchen with their mother's floral apron, shifting pots and pans.

"Hey" he nodded, then glancing at Albus's companion, "who's this?".

Albus sat at the kitchen table where his brother had placed a plate, "this is Gellert, he's Bathilda Bagshot's great-nephew, he just moved in".

Aberforth nodded "I didn't make enough", he gestured towards the eggs.

Gellert waved him off, "I had some breakfast this morning, it's quite alright".

Aberforth nodded stiffly and returned to his cooking, wiping his hands on his apron and humming to himself. Finally, he placed down a platter of eggs and sausages down and began filling up an extra plate to bring to Ariana.

"She won't eat it", Albus muttered under his breath. Aberforth gave him an angry look and continued to fill up the plate. He carried the plate up to her room and returned only a moment later. Albus took a bite of his sausages, it was just the right amount of salty, Aberforth was a good cook.

"So" Aberforth nodded to Gellert, "Shouldn't you be in school or something". He spoke with a mouth full of eggs, revealing the chewed-up concoction between his teeth.

 _Shouldn't you?_ Albus thought bitterly.

Gellert nodded, "I was kicked out", he said plainly. "But I'm of age anyway".

Albus looked up, "why were you kicked out then?"

Gellert laughed, revealing two rows of perfectly white teeth, "my experiments were a bit much for the faculty".

 _Shame_ Albus thought, _Brilliant people were always being taken advantage of._

Eventually, the meal ended and Aberforth began cleaning the dishes. Gellert followed Albus into his study. The room had once been his father's office, but since his departure, Albus has taken the space as a sort of laboratory. There were piles of neatly organized papers, groups of quills and unopened inkpots, and his many tubes of dragon blood as well as potion supplies.

"Wow" Gellert admired the spread, "quite a setup you've got here".

Albus shrugged. It was all things he needed, it made no sense to him not to invest in his experiments, they were important work. He explained to Gellert that, in the most recent experiments, he had begun to see the effect of dragon blood on the verruca warts, which had been incredibly successful. Gellert looked intrigued, watching Albus with perceptive eyes. Eventually, Albus grew tired of his explanations and began reading over his research notes from the day before. Gellert settled in the velvet armchair in the far end of the room, observing him. Albus placed the small tube of amber blood above a small candle, which he lit with a swish of his wand. He stood at his desk pouring and mixing while Gellert watched, his gaze was fixed on Albus. Although he would never admit it, Albus enjoyed the audience. It reminded him that the work he was doing was important and worth his time.

"Can you pass me some unicorn hair", he asked. Gellert stood and passed him the ingredients, surveying the concoction.

"You should try freezing it", he suggested.

Albus thought about it, he didn't like Gellert telling him what to do, but his idea wasn't bad. He tried freezing the liquid with a wave of his wand and applied the formula to his verruca sample. It worked.

"Thanks", he mumbled. Gellert looked pleased. For the next few hours they worked together to perfect the formula. They worked easily together, as if their minds were somehow connected, their thoughts from the same source. Gellert was intelligent and creative and maybe even more ambitious than Albus himself. While they worked they chatted, and Albus learned many things about Gellert. In turn, he allowed some of his shield to come down. Nothing important, of course, nothing that could damage his future career, but the important things, the beginning of a partnership. Gellert, it turned out, was the same age as himself. He was the only child, and his parents worked for the equivalent of the Ministry in Hungary. They were important higher-ups and were close to the minister, Gellert had bragged. Albus had told him of his mother's passing, blaming it on poor health as he'd been taught to do. He avoided the subject of his father, though he knew Gellert probably already knew the story, or what the gossiping wizards in his community passed around, anyway. He told Gellert of his ambition to travel, to discover the many forms of magic, to understand the world. Gellert too shared this ambition, he told Albus of his dream to visit the United States.

"Albus!" Aberforth called from the hall. He burst into the room, wearing his muggle pants and dress shirt. It was unbuttoned and the were sleeves rolled up. He noticed Gellert, "Oh, you're still here".

"Aberforth" Albus gritted his teeth "there is no reason to be rude".

Aberforth ignored this. "Lunch is ready", he announced, and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Albus pulled off his gloves and ran his fingers through his hair. He glanced at Gellert, "staying for lunch?"

Gellert shook his head, "I've imposed for far too long, my aunt will be wondering where I've gone off too".

Albus wanted to protest, he liked the company, but he didn't want to seem desperate or lonely, so he nodded curtly and showed Gellert to the exit.

"Please come back anytime," he said, hopefully, "you were quite helpful in my research".

Gellert flashed him a toothy grin and disappeared with a CRACK.

Albus shut the door behind him.

He sighed and followed the smell of casserole into the kitchen where Aberforth was sitting, speaking softly to a half-awake Ariana. The sedation potion had done its job. Albus cut himself a piece of the casserole and took his place at the head of the table, the seat his father had once occupied.

"I hate that we have to do this to her", Aberforth whispered.

Albus glanced at Ariana, her head was dropping to the side and her eyes were glazed over. "We can't have any more accidents Aberforth", he said slowly, "not after what happened last time".

Aberforth grumbled something under his breath and returned to feeding Ariana bits of casserole.

Albus glanced at the dimly lit room,

G _od,_ he thought. _I am never getting out of here._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My wonderful friend Makenna is editing my terrible punctuation for me, thank you Makenna I love you.


	2. Achilles Rolls Over In His Grave

Part 1: Albus  
 **September 7, 1899**

It has been a week since Gellert Grindelwald had visited the Dumbledore house, and Albus has grown restless waiting for his return. His days were filled with the same painful routine, waking up, arguing with Aberforth, giving Ariana her potion, research, lunch, more research, supper, and then sleep. Albus hadn't even left the house since his tour of the neighborhood the week before. Aberforth handled what his mother had once handled. He did the housework, tended to the garden, cooked the meals, and acted as a mother to Ariana.

Aberforth loved his sister more than he had ever loved Albus, doting after her, attempting to fulfill her every request. Albus has never been as close with either of them, he wished desperately for their companionship, for his sibling's approval, but alas Albus was only ever loved by those enchanted by his brilliance, something he'd never been able to achieve with his family.

Not that Albus was alone really, if he wanted he could be surrounded by peers, and teachers, and admirers, but Albus preferred his own company, he'd never met anyone who'd really gotten him. On the morning of the seventh day without Gellert, Albus was working on his experiments dutifully ignoring his letter that had come from Elphias Doge earlier that morning. It was addressed to him in loopy purple ink, good old Elphie had even written Albus's entire name out on the envelope. He knew he wasn't intentionally being a braggart but Albus couldn't help feeling green with envy. He was just considering lighting the damn thing on fire when there was a wrap on the office window. Gellert stood pressing his face against the window grinning. His blonde hair was damp and his breath was heavy, fogging up the glass. Albus reached over and pushed the window ajar.

Gellert's shirt was unbuttoned and his skin was flushed, he smiled at Albus, "hey."

"Hello," Albus said awkwardly keeping his eyes on Gellert's.

"Can I come in?"

Albus stood back, "yeah of course." He offered his hand to help him up and Gellert gripped it tightly, his palms were warm and callused. He climbed inside the window and stepped down next to Albus. Albus waited for an explanation, he rubbed his temple as Gellert took some deep breaths to steady himself.

"Sorry about that" Gellert grinned "running from some muggles hotshots."

Albus looked questioningly at him, "why were you running?"

Gellert shrugged, "they were giving this boy a big of a hard time, calling him lots of names, so I hexed them and made it seem like I'd just punched him."

"What about the stature of secrecy," Albus asked, he'd had enough people in his life get in trouble with messing with muggles.

Gellert rubbed his head "yeah that's why I ran."

"What was wrong with the boy?" Albus asked curiously.

"They were calling him queer," Gellert said pointedly, his eyes connected with Albus for a few moments too long and Albus glanced away.

"Right," Albus muttered turning away.

"Do you need any help?" Gellert offered.

Albus was grateful for the subject change and nodded eagerly. Gellert sat down on the stool next to him and began reading over his notes. He was only inches apart from Albus, this was only the second time they had been in each other's presence and yet Albus felt a strange connection between them. The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur with easy conversation and quick progression through his experiments. He was almost positive he had created a solution by the time Gellert left around dinner time. He headed downstairs where Ariana was already sitting at the kitchen table looking brighter the 12-hour potion wearing off rapidly. Aberforth sired a red sauce in a pan on the stove.

Albus took his usual seat, "what for dinner Aberforth?"

"Chicken Bolognese" Aberforth mumbled.

"Smells good."

"Albus", Ariana said excitedly, "can we get ice cream?"

"No Ariana", Albus said sternly, "no ice cream tonight."

"But Albus-" she protested, "Mommy always brings me ice cream on Saturdays."

Albus shook his head, "she's not bringing ice cream tonight", he said quietly staring at his feet. His heart had just stopped and restarted when his sister had spoken.

"Aberforth", Ariana whined, "where's mommy?"

"Mommy's dead", Aberforth mumbled, Albus prayed she'd missed it, or miraculously been distracted and hadn't heard what he'd said. There was a crack and then a thud, he swished around and Ariana had broken the arm of her kitchen chair off, she was crying her head shoved between her knees rocking back and forth. Her body glowed with a faint black aura and white sparks sprang from her fingers.

"Aberforth get the medicine", Albus yelled at his brother who was standing in shock. His command shook Aberforth out of his shocked state and he bumbled up the stairs to her room.

"Ariana, take deep breaths it's all okay", Albus tried to calm her, he places his hand on her shoulder, his palm lit up in agony and he had to pull his hand away, it was as if her body was on fire. Aberforth came running down the steps tripping and landing unsteadily on the landing, he charged over to Ariana, grabbing a spoon from the table and opening the potion bottle. He poured a spoonful out and held it to Ariana.

"Ariana", he whispered "have some medicine it'll make you feel better."

"Mommy's dead", Ariana sobbed, "I killed mommy."

"Shh shh no you didn't" Aberforth soothed.

Eventually, Aberforth was able to spoon-feed her the clear potion and Ariana's breath grew slower until she passed out of exhaustion right at the kitchen table. Aberforth scooped her up and brought her to the bedroom. He came back and sat across from Albus.

"Thanks for the help", he muttered darkly.

"You shouldn't have brought that up with her", Albus chastised ignoring his brother's previous comment.

"Well she is no use denying it", Aberforth stood up and turned off the pasta sauce that was no smoking on the stove. He brought two plates over and served two portions. He placed one in front of Albus.

"A bit burnt but still edible", he said.

"We need to agree to keep her off the topic of our mother", Albus took a bite of the meal.

"So what?" Aberforth looked up angrily, "we just pretend she's on vacation until Ariana kills someone else."

"It won't happen again", Albus said sternly, "and she didn't mean to hurt anyone."

"I know that Albus, but she needs help. She should have gotten it a long time ago but she deserves to go outside and make friends like a normal kid."

Albus shook his head, "there's nothing they can do. She is far too sick, our family can not risk another public humiliation."

Aberforth dropped his fork his face full of rage, "all you care about is your reputation and your ambition, you won't even sacrifice for your own blood."

"You misunderstand my intentions Aberforth", Albus kept his voice calm, "I want the best for all of us and that includes Ariana of course."

"You're such a narcissist you've convinced yourself you're not", Aberforth's tone was dangerous.

"Perhaps you should return to your school and your studies dear brother", Albus's matched his brother's pitch.

Aberforth laughed a cold and empty laugh, "and leave you to run our sister to her grave? I don't think so."

Albus decided he'd had quite enough, "careful little brother" he muttered and trudged off, leaving his perfectly good plate of pasta.

He stalked into his room and pulled out his favorite novel _The Illiad_. It was muggle mythology, written in ancient times about a religion based on false interpretations of magic but Albus loved it all the same. The smooth poetry of the verses and the delicate way the words strung together to create the dangerous quests of Odysseus and the trials of Achilles and the story that unfolded. Albus read the story when he was especially distraught, he felt a kinship with the character of Achilles, a young genius of a boy with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He turned the pages quickly the familiar lines were ingrained into his brain. He lay on his soft bed turning the yellowed pages of the novel until he drifted into an easy sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far, I hadn't seen many Grindlewald Dumbledore fics and I've always really thought their story would be super interesting if JK had expanded upon it. Let me know if there are any spelling mistakes or suggestions.


	3. Wish On The Brightest Star

Part 1: Albus

**September 30, 1899**

TW: Rape

Gellert Grindlewald became a common guest of the Dumbledore household in the following weeks, often appearing in the early mornings and not leaving the premises until the sun was setting. The two boys became easy companions, even friends. Albus liked to company and Gellert seemed to have an endless stream of suggestions and ideas. Unfortunately for their budding friendship Aberforth had not warmed up to Gellert since their first meeting always grumbling and muttering things Albus could not decipher. He had not been successful in getting his brother to return to school or even any type of academic exploration. Aberforth seemed only interested in the mundane task of keeping up the house and taking care of Ariana.

It was almost dinner time on the last day of September when the second letter arrived. The tawny owl flew in through the open study window and dropped the envelope onto Albus's lap.

"What's that?" Gellert asked he was lounging on the armchair, a book on dragon species in his lap.

Albus shook his head bitterly "a letter from a friend, he's traveling abroad."

"Wow, where is he?" Gellert asked.

Albus shrugged, "no idea". He tossed the letter to Gellert, "you can check if you like". He'd meant that Gellert could check the return address but instead, the pale boy ripped the envelope open and pulled out the parchment. Before Albus could stop him he was reading through the letter, his pale-colored eyes scanning the text and his fingertips tracing the words.

"What's it say then?" He asked anxiously.

Gellert smirked, "your friend seems to think quite highly of you Albus."

Albus's face burned, Elphias was a bit of an admirer of his, a friend who liked to consistently compliment him, not that he minded, "yes that's Elphias, but where is he?"

"Greece," Gellert said his eyes still on the letter, "he's apparently narrowly escaped a group of Chimeras and wanted to tell you all about it so you don't feel left out, that's rich isn't it?" He passed the letter back to Albus who pointed his wand at it and the letter burst into flames.

"God damn!" Gellert exclaimed jumping back.

"I was supposed to be on the trip wasn't I?" Albus glared at the burning letter that was quickly turning to ash on the table.

"What happened?" Gellert asked concern written all over his face.

"My mother died," Albus said simply, "and Ariana needed to be taken care of."

"Surely Aberforth could help her?" Gellert suggested, "or you could hire a caretaker?"

Albus sighed, he wasn't sure how much he could tell his new friend but the weight of the constant lies felt unbearable. He got up from the desk and lay face-up on the carpeted floor, Gellert stood up and laid down next to him, their knees brushing against each other.

"If I tell you, will you promise to never speak a word of this to anyone?" He turned to Gellert and stared straight into his eyes, Gellert stared right back holding his gaze, their faces were only inches from each other and Albus could feel Gellert's hot breath on his cheek.

"I promise."

Albus turned away staring at the wooden ceiling of the study, "When we were young Ariana wasn't like this, not really anyway. One day my mother was meant to be watching her but somehow she was in the back yard doing some stupid magic trick, and some muggle boys found her," he shivered and continued. "They tried to get her to do it again, but she was too scared so they just attacked her, and they all took turns having relations with her, forcing themselves in her and she couldn't' do anything, she was only a child," Albus's voice broke he'd never told anyone this he hadn't even intended to tell Gellert.

Gellert leaned over and took Albus's hand, "I am so sorry Albus," he whispered.

Albus nodded "but anyway she was never the same after that, they ruined her, completely destroyed her."

"They're disgusting," Gellert spat, "they deserve to pay."

Albus nodded, "they did, father made sure."

Understanding dawned in Gellert's eyes, "that's why your father-"

"Yeah," Albus confirmed darkly.

"And your mother?" Gellert asked softly.

"There was an accident, last year Ariana, she lost control and she didn't mean to but my mother couldn't control it and she was killed".

"It's not her fault," Grindlewald said angrily he was still gripping Albus's hand, "those stupid muggle boys shouldn't have been anywhere near her".

Albus pulled his hand away, "I guess but what can be done? My father already hospitalized them for life".

Gellert frowned as if thinking deeply, "wizards shouldn't have to suffer for muggle ignorance, your sister shouldn't have to suffer for muggle ignorance."

Albus considered this, it was true if the muggles had understood magic they would have never attacked his sister. Without the statute of secrecy, his father could have explained the real reason he attacked those muggle boys, and his father could be at home right now. But there was no point in dwelling on the past. Albus stood a weird tension between the two boys settled into the room. He gazed down at Gellert whose eyes were wide open and staring at his own. Gellert's face was enchantingly unique, his chin and cheekbones so pointed his entire face seemed to jut out at you. His blonde hair fell to his chin framing his beautiful face in reflective white light.

"It's almost dinner time," Albus broke the silence.

Gellert smiled, "and I've overstayed my welcome, I apologize." He stood up heading towards the door.

"No-" Albus called but Gellert had already vanished with a wink and loud CRACK.

Albus sighed rubbing his eyes, _what had just happened_?

Aberforth and Ariana were already sitting eating when he arrived at the kitchen table, he slid down to join them. "What did you do today Aberforth?" He asked trying to make conversation with his siblings.

Aberfroth shrugged and grunted as he continued to stuff his face with his dinner.

"Gellert was here," Ariana exclaimed brightly, her face in a half-aware grin.

"Yes he was", Albus confirmed.

"I like him, do you think he'll be my friend?" Ariana asked.

"I'm sure he'd love to," Albus said kindly.

Ariana's face split into an even larger grin, her big brown eyes shining brightly.

After Aberforth had put her to bed, Albus found his way onto the back lawn. He spread out staring at the millions of twinkling stars. The late September air was still warm and comforting and a small breeze blew by his face as if to remind him of the coming winter. Albus focused on the brightest star squinting his eyes so that its golden light was the only thing visible. For the hundredth time, Albus prayed for his escape, that something, anything, would help him get out of this small town and to the cities and countries that his genius would truly be appreciated.

Albus Dumbledore would **not** be another case of wasted potential.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far, I hadn't seen many Grindlewald Dumbledore fics and I've always really thought their story would be super interesting if JK had expanded upon it. Let me know if there are any spelling mistakes or suggestions.


	4. The Deathly Hallows

Part 1: Albus

**October 1, 1899**

Albus Dumbledore awoke in the early hours of the first day of October to a loud rapping on his window. He pulled his pocket watch from his side table, it was barely three AM. He slowly heaved his drowsy body out of bed, fumbling for his glasses and his wand. At the window sitting on the ledge which was more than 50 feet off the ground was Gellert Grindelwald, of course. He was wearing long black robes and green muggle trousers, his hair was messy and being blown in every direction by the autumn wind. In the twilight, Gellert's white eyelashes and eyebrows looked like strings of tiny snowflakes.

"What are you doing here?" Albus tried to straighten his hair, he was wearing his flannel pajamas and he was sure he had morning breath.

"Come on" Gellert smirked, "I want to do something".

"What could we possibly do at this time of night?" Albus asked desperately.

Gellert grinned for real this time, the crooked grin that showed every single perfectly white tooth, "oh Albus", he said, "the possibilities are endless".

Unenthusiastically Albus pulled off his pajama shirt, Gellert watched him carefully, his gaze unwavering. He pulled on an old Gryffindor sweater and his shoes and followed Gellert out to the window sill. It was only then that Albus realized Gellert had never been sitting on the window sill but somehow levitating his body two floors off the ground. It was impressive magic. Unable to contain himself Albus asked, "how are you doing that then?"

Gellert chuckled and waved his wand and it was as if Albus had been tossed into an invisible armchair. Suddenly the air around him was supporting his weight, the oxygen molecules combining to hold him up. For a brief moment, Albus considered how silly they would have looked if any muggle townspeople happened to walk by. Two teenage boys gleefully sitting in midair, he brushed the thought aside.

He turned to Gellert, "now what?", Gellert flashed him a signature grin and waved his wand again, nothing happened.

Albus waited, "it's alright, the magic you produced was already quite impressive".

Gellert scoffed, "if you weren't the only person around here worth talking to I'd knock you out of midair".

"Thanks... I think".

"Now jump", Gellert commanded, he stood up still hovering in the sky.

"What?" Albus asked as if the task was impossibly hard.

"On three", Gellert instructed, "one...two...three!"

And because Albus had no other ideas, he jumped.

They slid down an invisible slide of air and landed in a heap on the lawn rolling with laughter. Albus who was usually incredibly composed felt like he might never laugh again. The momentum of the slide had the two boys rolling through the grass until Albus hit the fence that separated the two properties and Gellert rolled right on top of him. He sat up straddling Albus, Gellert's legs wrapped around his own, their eyes meeting. Suddenly the mood shifted, a intense rush of adrenaline turned to fear in Albus's chest. He shuffled and Gellert rolled off awkwardly. They lay their both panting, Albus felt as if his heart might burst from his chest.

"Common", Gellert said breaking the silence, "let's go to mine". Albus stumbled to his feet and followed Gellert into the even larger house next door.

Albus had been to the Bagshot mansion previously, the house was four floors of marble and red brick, with long winding staircases that creaked on every step. His mother used to remark on how Bathilda lived in a house of living history, and it was true. The walls of the house were lined with silver picture frames holding pictures of her family, of herself, or her writings. One could know the entire Bagshot family history by walking down a single hallway.

Gellert led Albus through the house stopping in the kitchen for a roll of biscuits and two plates. When he opened the cabinet Albus caught a glimpse of the multicolored stacks of ceramic plates and bowls, he considered this odd since as far as he could tell, Gellert was the only person that had ever cohabitated with Bathilda. He remembered something his brother had said a very long time ago, when they'd first moved in, about the neighbors whispering about Bathilda and her maiden status, why she had never married, but his mother had brushed him off and told young Aberforth not to listen to neighborhood gossip.

He followed Geller up the winding staircase to the top floor. Albus realized with a start he'd never been past the downstairs living room. Soon, they stood in a massive library, the room must have been twelve feet on each side and shelves had been built against every flat surface. Albus had never seen so many books not even in his years at Hogwarts, books in languages he didn't even recognize and titles he'd never even heard of.

"Wow", Albus said in awe.

Gellert chuckled, "I know right, Aunt Bathilda's got quite the collection".

That was the understatement of the century but Albus didn't call him on it. Gellert waved his wand at the ceiling of the library and a small panel opened causing a wooden ladder to fall to the floor of the library.

"Come on", Gellert called as he climbed the ladder, Albus followed nervously unsure of where he was heading. When he reached the top of the ladder his anxiety lifted. He pulled himself up to a large attic turned bedroom. It was similar to his own bedroom, with piles of books, and awards. There was a massive triangle window on one side of the room and a large painting of three wizards on the other, the painting was still but no one with any intuition would think the painting was muggle-made. The paint strokes were heavy and passionate and the colors gleamed even in the dark. The three wizards were all tall and dark-haired, with their backs turned and their heads facing each other, one could see a mischievous grin on each of their expression. The tallest wizard was holding up an illuminated wand, the middle wizard holding an amber stone, and the smallest of the three draped in a dark cloak. The three objects glowed with white light, illuminating against the rest of the dark-colored painting.

Gellert noticed him admiring the artwork and grinned, "it's great, isn't it? That's why I had Aunt Bathilda put me up here, so I could have an excuse to see it".

"Why's it up here then?" Albus asked, the painting seemed too beautiful to be hiding away in the dark attic.

Gellert glanced at the painting and sighed, "my aunt believes it inspires a false fantasy".

Albus looked at the painting again, running over the details with his eyes, suddenly it dawned on him, "The Tale of the Three Brothers", he said slowly.

Gellert watched him carefully, he nodded ever so slightly. He walked over to the large bed on the side of the room and picked up an old book on the nightstand. He passed it to Albus and sat back on the bed waiting. Albus flipped through the book, it was an extended copy of Tales Of The Beedle Bard and an old copy at that. The pages were browned and crinkled, and some of the book's binding had begun to fall apart. Albus found the story he was looking for and found the pages covered in notes of dark scribbled ink. Almost every line of the fairy tale was underlined with messy notes and multiple interpretations underneath.

"Guilty pleasure read?" Albus asked glancing up at Gellert.

Gellert made an odd face as if he wasn't sure he wanted to tell Albus his secret after all.

"You can tell me", Albus said slowly, "whatever this is, I won't judge you".

Gellert met his eyes and Albus could swear he saw the exact moment when his face flickered and Gellert Grindlewald decided to trust him with everything, he would never forget it for the rest of his life.

"It's true, all of it", Gellert said in a hushed voice.

"The fairy tale?"

"We call it the Deathly Hallows," Gellert said his eyes flashing with excitement.

Albus crinkled his brow, "I don't understand".

Gellert drew his wand and pointed it at the painting like a teacher, "the cloak, the wand, and the stone, together they are the Deathly Hallows." He traced his wand using white smoke to create an oddly-shaped symbol in the air, "the one who finds them all, will be the true master of death, the most powerful wizard to ever exist." Gellert's face glowed with pleasure and desire as if the symbol was the solution to every problem in the young wizards' complicated existence.

"But they're just plot devices, to teach a lesson", Albus argued.

Gellert shook his head, "Ignotus Peverell he's buried in the cemetery you showed me the first day I moved here, have you seen the symbol engraved on his headstone? His oldest brother was murdered and his second brother slit his own throat, but Ignotus passed his gift on, if I can just find it, find them all".

"Gellert", Albus said quietly, "you can't possibly believe-"

"Albus!" Gellert yelled his eyes wild, flashing with deranged anger, "it's real, I know it is, and when I find it, I will restore the word to its natural order, the way it's supposed to be".

"I should go", Albus said quickly, something about the way Gellert referred to 'the natural order' made him very, very uncomfortable, "I'll see you later Gellert". He concentrated and disapparated with a CRACK before Gellert could say another word.

He arrived in his kitchen, panting with nervous excitement. The sun had started to rise, and the early dawn light was seeping through the windows. He felt as if his brain had been soaked in gasoline and then run over by a very angry hippogriff. He sat down at the kitchen table, laying his head down on the table feeling the cool tile on his cheek. Had Gellert been lying to him this whole time? Had Gellert always known about the conspiracy theory that linked his town to this Deathly Hallow's business? Why could he not stop seeing Gellert's face in his head?

Eventually, Albus wore himself out to the point he was able to stumble to bed. He pulled the sheets over his head exhaustedly. Aberforth could deal with Ariana this morning because there was no way in Godric's name that Albus was leaving his bed.

And just like that, he drifted into sleep.


	5. An Agreement

Part 1: Albus

**October 14, 1899**

Albus hasn't seen Gellert in almost two weeks, well in person anyway. Since their disagreement and Albus's hasty exit, Albus hadn't dared to approach the boy next door. He missed the company and he regretted how harsh he had been towards the other boy, he hadn't been fair, he hadn't really been hearing him.

The worst part about Gellert's absence was the dreams Albus had begun having every night since the incident. It always started with that night after they'd rolled off the roof, with Gellert straddling him on the lawn but unlike what had really happened, in Albus's dreams, Gellert would close the gap between them, kissing him deeply, pressing their body's together. He'd never had such impure thoughts before, even with his few and far between girlfriends. He'd always considered himself a somewhat asexual, too busy and bright to be weighed down by silly courtship and romance. And yet, Albus could not stop dreaming and thinking and hoping for a chance to run his fingers down Gellert's chest and touching his soft lips. It was probably just stress, Albus reasoned.

And he did have enough to be stressed about, Ariana's moods had worsened in the last couple of weeks leaving her prone to explosive tantrums or bouts of extreme sadness. He hadn't gotten very far with Aberforth either who was still refusing to return to his studies. They'd had a shouting match about it only a week ago and since then it had been mouthy sarcastic comments whenever he entered a room Aberforth was already occupying. Maybe that was what was setting his little sister off, Ariana could always tell when her brothers were angry. Albus rubbed his eyes tiredly, what would his mother say? He felt like he was failing his parents, disrespecting the sacrifices they had made for him.

He considered all of this while he stirred a pot of soup on the stove. Since his fights with Aberforth had spiraled, Albus was no longer given his three meals a day treatment. He'd always been too busy to learn to cook as a child, spending his days reading until the moment his mother put food on the table. This left Albus with few culinary options when it came to cooking his own meals. He'd tried transfiguration on his food before but the result never tasted quite right. So for the 6th night this week, Albus made himself a vegetable stew.

"Albus!" Ariana called as she came running down the stairs. She stopped in front of him panting, she was all hyper and jittery, her medicine clearly wearing off. Her straight brown hair was tied back in a tangled ponytail, clearly her own work, and she wore a long men's button-down and her pajama pants.

"Ariana is that dad's shirt?" Albus asked.

Ariana grinned guiltily at him, "please don't make me change Albie." A nickname Ariana and Ariana only ever called him.

Albus decided it wasn't worth it, "just don't do it again". He turned back to his stew which smelled of dull steamed vegetables and store-bought chicken broth.

"Will you play gobstones with me Albie?" Ariana smiled up at him winningly, her crooked front tooth jutting out on her bottom lip.

Albus was immune to her charm, "can Aberforth play with you? I have a lot of work to do".

Ariana pouted, "no he's busy, please Albus play with me".

 _Busy?_ Albus thought to himself _it's almost eight PM,_ "busy doing what Ariana?"

Ariana looked at the floor, avoiding his eyes.

"Busy doing what Ariana?" he repeated firmly.

"He told me not to tell you".

"Ariana", Albus said impatiently his voice rising.

Ariana made a sort of squeak sound, "he's with his girlfriend".

"Where?" He demanded.

"In the field, across from Batty's".

"Okay stay here while I go find him", he didn't even wait for her reply, he had to find Aberforth, he was sure Aberforth would ruin them all.

He disapparated and appeared behind a tree in the field. It had once been an old cow pasture, but it had been years since any farmers had used the land. When he peeked around the tree he immediately spotted his brother, standing hand in hand with a muggle girl. Albus could tell because she wore a long belted skirt and a white blouse, nothing like the witches' robes the girls from Hogwarts wore. She was petite and skinny, with light brown skin and long dark hair. She was laughing now at something he had said and moving her hand towards Aberforth's face. He leaned closer to her, his light brown hair blowing in the wind, and pressed his mouth to hers in a kiss.

"Aberforth!" Albus leaped from behind the tree causing his brother and the girl to jump in surprise.

"Albus," Aberforth said his teeth gritted "what are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you, abandoning your sister to go run about doing god knows what with _her_ ," Albus lectured his brother.

"Will you excuse me for a moment?" Aberforth said speaking to his date, she nodded awkwardly and sauntered away.

"You can't just go gallivanting around with girls like that," Albus said angrily.

"Her name is Eliza," Aberforth muttered, "and who are you to tell me what I can spend my time doing?"

"You told me you couldn't return to school because you needed to watch Ariana, am I to find out you stayed for this muggle?"

"What?" Aberforth stuttered, "no of course not, I only met her a couple of weeks ago."

"So you been abandoning your duty to care for Ariana for weeks then?"

"Where is Ariana?" Aberforth countered, "since you're so worried about her well being?"

Albus stopped, "she's safe at home."

"I'm sure she is," Aberforth said turning away, "don't be a hypocrite brother."

Albus considered jinxing him but instead turned on his heel and disapparated. When he came to he was standing in his kitchen, Ariana was nowhere to be seen. He walked up the hall calling "Ariana?"

"In here!" Ariana's high voice came from her bedroom.

Albus hurried up the stairs and found himself face to face with not only his sister but no other than Gellert Grindelwald.

"Hello Albus," Gellert said slowly, his light eyes meeting Albus's.

"How did you get in?" Albus said stupidly.

"Your sister found her way out of the house and halfway down the block, I was just returning her home," Gellert said flatly.

"Right," Albus said awkwardly, he turned back to his sister who was running her dirty fingernails through her tangled ponytail. "Ariana it's time for bed," he opened the drawer removing the potion and pouring out a spoonful. He fed the liquid to her and then motioned for Gellert to follow him out of the bedroom.

Gellert spoke first, "I'm sorry for barging in uninvited, I just saw Ariana and was worried she might get herself into trouble."

Albus waved it off, "don't apologize, I should be thanking you." He stopped in the middle of the hallway, meeting Gellerts's eyes, "and I'm sorry for leaving so abruptly the other day, it wasn't fair of me."

Gellert shrugged, "all is forgiven."

They found themselves in Albus's room falling into their routine, Albus with his eye on the microscope examining new specimen and Gellert on the bed passing him materials and reading passages from his book.

"Albus come check this out," Gellert said pointing to the page he was reading. Albus came and sat next to him. The book was on historical magical artifacts but the chapter Gellert was pointing to was discussing "mythical magical objects."

"The Elder Wand or the Wand of Destiny is said to be the most powerful wand to ever exist. According to legend the wand's core comes from the tail of a Thestral and can help the wizard create potent magic that most can only dream of. In myth, it is described as a 15-inch elder wood wand with a smooth unadorned shaft and two conjoined spheres at the handle. The wand's ownership is difficult to track and follows a bloody trail of past possessors, so it is difficult to even know whether this item is even real."

"Sounds like it'll be hard to find," Albus offered.

Gellert grinned, "we're up for the challenge."

"We?" Albus asked running the idea through his head.

Gellert nodded, "it'll be awfully lonely being the master of death all by myself."

Albus considered this, searching for the artifacts with Gellert, uniting them, being able to control the world and shape it the way they needed it to be, and then living out their days the most powerful wizards to ever live until they decided together to move on. It was a nice fantasy but there were still so many unknowns. Albus didn't like uncertainty or leaving things to chance. He liked clear answers and precise calculations. He knew that agreeing to anything was foolish and that he would always have his responsibilities at home, to his siblings and especially to Ariana, but Gellert's eyes were glowing with excitement, and who was Albus to turn him down?

"Okay," he said finally, "I'm in."

A grin spread on Gellert's face, "excellent, with the two of us we should be able to get it done much faster."

There was something in Gellert's voice that frightened Albus, the familiar sound of pure ambition, but he brushed the feeling away, returning his focus to Gellert's beautiful face.

Gellert lay back on the bed, his head propped up on Albus's pillow, his hair was falling into his eyes. He seemed looser, messier, more relaxed than Albus was used to.

"So where was your brother?" Gellert asked nonchalantly, "Ariana said you had gone to fetch him, but I didn't hear him come in with you."

Albus groaned, "my brother is off running around with some Muggle peasant girl."

"And you let him?" Gellert looked appalled.

Albus hung his head, "I tried believe me, but trying to get Aberforth to do anything is like talking to a wall."

"Let's hope he doesn't plan on proposing," Gellert said with a laugh.

Albus felt a panic in his chest, surely his brother was not _that_ unintelligent, that he would attempt something as taboo as so, "he better not."

"What would he do then?" Gellert asked, "pretend to be a muggle?"

"I would think not," Albus said confidently, "our family name has been dragged through the mud enough."

"I think the whole statue of secrecy is so pointless," Gellert complained, "it's not like Muggles really pose a threat to us."

Albus laughed, "I think the ministry might be more worried about the other way around."

"But why should Wizards have to hide because Muggles are inferior?"

This earned him an eyebrow raise from Albus.

"You know what I mean!" Gellert said defensively, "muggle blood _is_ inferior to wizard blood that's not biased, it's just a fact."

Albus shrugged, "without the statue, my father wouldn't be in prison."

"First thing we'll do," Gellert said his voice rising, "once we master the Deathly Hallows, we'll go to Azkaban and liberate your father."

It was an idea Albus had thought about many times, but every time he'd pushed it away. _There is no time for you to waste on daydreams_ , His father used to say. But Percival Dumbledore was long gone, and what good had that advice ever done for him?

"We better get to work," he told Gellert.


	6. A Knock at the Window

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short chapter but definitely one of my favorites :))

Part 1: Albus

**October 17, 1899**

It all happened so quickly that in the years to come Albus would always find it difficult to sort out the timeline. To decipher the when and the where of the chain of events that unfolded from the moment Gellert Grindlewald wrapped on his bedroom window that late October night.

It was almost twelve when Albus first heard it, he was already in his favorite blue striped pajamas and he was re-reading the Illiad for only the hundredth time. He was about to get to his favorite part, where Achilles and Patroclus stand together against their common enemy when the sound of knocking startled him. He stood up placing the worn book down gently and walked to his window. Albus pushed the window open and allowed Gellert to step inside the warm bedroom.

Gellert was wearing his own pajamas, green and maroon, the Durmstrang colors. His hair was messy and his eyes were lit up with excitement, his face slightly pink.

"Albus," he said panting, he'd clearly run all the way here, "Albus I've done it!"

"Done what?" Albus asked concerned for his friend's well-being.

"The wand!" Gellert exclaimed, "I found it, Gregorovitch Zauberstäbe the wandmaker, he's got the Elder Wand."

"How could you possibly know that?" Albus asked excitedly.

"I found an article," Gellert said slowly, "from an old paper in Bulgaria, it reports that Gregorovitch took a year off from his work and returned boasting of his new wand, a wand stronger than any in all existence. And get this," Gellert met Albus's eyes, "the article was recalled only days after its original print and replaced with a message warning readers that the article was only speculation and that avid readers should not attempt to investigate such claims any farther."

Albus felt his heart accelerate, "you've really done it." And he instincts told him it was true, their research over the last few days had all pointed towards eastern Europe as the location of the wand, and only someone with such magical capability as a wandmaker would be able to keep such a heavily magical artifact hidden.

"We must leave as soon as possible," Gellert was saying, "before someone else discovers what we have."

Albus's heart sank, "but what about my family? My research? I can't just leave."

Gellert reached out and placed his hands on Albus's shoulders, shaking him slightly. "Albus! This is the most powerful wand to ever exist we are talking about, this is a drop everything and go situation!"

Albus felt his chest grow warm, his body incredibly aware of Gellert's touch and the few layers of cloth between them. "I know but I can't leave Ariana, not after what happened last time."

"We'll bring her then," Gellert decided. "We'll stalk up on her potion and bring her with us. Once we have the wand we can cure her, I know we can."

His face was so set, his jaw firm, Gellert would not allow him to abandon this mission. Their faces were only inches apart now, Albus could feel himself being pulled towards Gellert by some invisible force, he could not stop it now. His chest was pounding, his eyes closing, his hands shaking, and then their lips met in a kiss.

How long this touch actually lasted was a question that was beyond even Albus. He felt as if his heart had exploded out of his ribs as if every wall and shield he had so meticulously built up was shattered and he was one with the boy next door.

When they finally separated it was Albus who was breathless now and Gellert staring at him with shock written all over his face. Not hatred, not love, just surprise.

"I'm sorry-" Albus stammered, his body beginning to shift into panic mode, running his fingers through his hair and straightening his shirt in a desperate frenzy.

"Albus-" Gellert said slowly, trying to meet his gaze.

_He'd ruined it all now, he knew he had. Everything he worked for his entire life, his family's reputation built from the ashes, the only true friend he'd ever had, all ruined._

"Albus calm down," Gellert commanded. Albus looked down at himself and saw that he was shaking and that sparks of red energy had begun to protrude from his hands.

"Albus-" Gellert repeated his name a third time and but then he wrapped his arms around Albus's waist and pulled him close so that their chests were practically touching. This time it was Gellert who closed the gap between them, touching his soft pink lips to Albus's.

That was the kiss Albus would never forget. Even in the years that followed, even when he begged his brain to forget, even as he tried to erase the image in his mind, remove it from his memory, it always remained.

When they parted a second time Albus felt his body relax. Gellert was gazing at him a small smile playing on his perfect face.

"So you'll come then?" Gellert asked finally, breaking the silence.

Albus nodded, "but I'll need a few weeks, to make arrangements and to convince Aberforth."

"I'll help of course," Gellert said quickly. His eyes were brighter than Albus had ever seen them, no longer the pale blue but a bright sapphire, speckled with gold.


	7. The Letter

Part 1: Albus

**October 25, 1899**

The next week flew by before Albus could realize it. The autumn chill had begun to blow through the tiny village, the trees turning golden and the familiar eerie October feeling in the air. Gellert and he had fallen into a consistent routine, Gellert would appear in the early mornings with a basket full of baked goods and sandwiches courtesy of Bathilda, and wouldn't leave until the sun had dipped beneath the hills surrounding the little town of Godrics Hallow. They acted the same in front of Ariana and Aberforth, if only a bit friendlier, but in the privacy of Albus's room with the door charmed shut, _it was anyone's game_.

Albus often had to remind himself that it was real and not another one of his dreams. It seemed that both of the boys had been holding back so much pent-up energy for so long, that it was impossible to keep it in any longer. They would often spend hours creating lists of the things they needed to prepare for their journey with Gellert's head laying shamelessly in Albus's lap, his fingers tracing the inside of Albus's thigh. He had no idea whether love always felt like this, like his heart would shatter every time he was away from Gellert, like he was not a whole person unless he was with him.

Often he dreamed of forgoing the entire hunt and settling for living in the Dumbledore house, holed up with Gellert forever. If the other boy had even hinted at it, Albus would have agreed in an instant. He was so full of pleasure and comfort that he could have agreed to anything, he would have done anything to keep that feeling going forever. But anytime he tossed the idea around Gellert shut him down, they had a mission, they had to keep their wits, stay on the path, their goal was so close they couldn't turn back now. Albus knew he was right but for the first time in his life, Albus wanted to just slow down.

Unfortunately dealing with Ariana was getting more and more tedious, her explosive moods seemed to just get stronger, and more frequent. He told himself that she would just have to holdout until they could acquire the wand, and "fix" her as Gellert kept saying. She was mopey too, constantly complaining that she wanted to go outside, see "her friends". Albus was running out of distractions for her, and Aberforth was little to no help. His younger brother was now parading around with his Muggle girlfriend without any shame, he'd even brought her to the little garden that had once belonged to their mother. Albus would not allow her inside, of course not, but that didn't stop Aberforth from trying. Albus had charmed a wall of defenses around every doorway and window of the house. Muggle repelling charms, jinx's that targeted non-magical blood, and even a few entrances that required passwords. Gellert had helped with those, had a lot of practice repelling them back at Durmstrang or something like that he'd said and Albus didn't question it. Aberforth fought back, of course, jinxing Albus so that every time he tried to take food from one of the kitchen cabinets it turned to dust in his hand, or cursing his lovely brown hair to turn a nasty shade of green, it was actually quite impressive magic. Albus had to admit, his brother was a much more talented wizard than people have him credit for.

This was how Albus found himself lying on his back on the wooden floor of his bedroom, while Gellert fed him perfectly purple grapes grown on Bathilda's vines, like a proper Dionysus. It was mid-afternoon and the sun was shining through the bedroom window making Albus feel warm and lethargic. The fruit was fresh and cool and tasted sweet on Gellert's tongue.

Gellert turned away to write scratch something out onto the parchment, probably adding to the seemingly endless list of tasks they had to complete before they left. Albus felt a twinge of jealousy, of annoyance, he wanted Gellert's undivided attention.

"Gellert?" He said picking his head off the floor.

"Hmm?"

"Will it always be like this?" He could hear the insecurity in his voice, he knew it was silly, and yet he wanted Gellert to answer.

Gellert turned back to him, meeting his gaze with a sweet sympathetic smile, "of course my love." The nickname was one they'd adopted soon after that first night, one Albus not-so-secretly adored.

He leaned up to meet Gellert with a sugary kiss, a kiss that turned to many and soon they were tumbling on top of each other, Gellert's lists long forgotten in a jumble of hands and legs and that wonderful feeling at the pit of Albus's stomach. It was wonderful, he had discovered the things that bodies could do, the things Gellert could do to him, the way he melted at Gellert's fingertips and became undone by his grasp.

Afterwards, Gellert stayed with him in his bed for what could have only been minutes. Soon he was back to work and Albus was grumbling, pulling his trousers back on and joining him at the desk. Half-heartedly helping the other boy with the map he was drawing, the plans for how they were to disarm the wandmaker and overpower him. Albus wrote out most of it, his brain doing what it did best, finding the answers in a minefield of questions. It was almost muscle memory at the point, as if the correct most logical solution just appeared to him. They would go at night, hopefully, to get Gregorovitch unarmed, cast a long-lasting sleeping charm on him, and take the wand for their own. If it didn't go as planned and Gregorovitch was conscious Gellert warned they may have to resort to other measures, which Albus had agreed to. Whatever was necessary, he would do what it took for Gellert, for his family, and for the greater good.

After they'd received the wand they'd have to work quickly, first curing Ariana, then to free his father, and then following Gellert's meticulous plans, the ones that involved overthrowing the Ministry of Magic and dissolving the statue of secrecy. Albus was still a bit iffy on those, but he trusted Gellert so he helped craft the lists and the diagrams of the Ministry building, of the office which he knew the Minster worked. It was all quite tedious really, but Gellert always made it worth his time and Albus didn't mind the idea of running the world, crafting society to his liking, making sure that no one else became an orphan because the world just didn't understand.

It was almost dinner time when the fourth owl arrived. It was Elphias's tawny owl, called Montgomery like that wasn't an idiotic name. In Mongomery's beak was a white envelope addressed to him like usual. He got up to open the window and took the letter from the bird and watched as the brown bird soared back in the direction of wherever Dodge was. He hadn't even touched the last two his old school friend has sent, his judgment shrouded by jealousy but today he opened the letter, and skimmed the cursive lettering.

_Dear Albus,_

_I find myself worrying as you have failed to return my Owls for almost three months now._

_I am now traveling through Bulgaria, enjoying the wonderful food and art, as well as the fantastical magic shows the young wizards put on here._ _The weather is warm and the witches plentiful and kind._

_I do hope everything is well for you and Ariana as well as Aberforth, I know he can be a handful at times._

_I wish you the best and that you respond when at all possible in your leisure,_

_Forever indebted,_   
_Elphias Dodge_

"Look at that!" Albus said smiling down at the page, he tossed the letter at Gellert who was still focused on reading his maps. "Ol' Elphie's in Bulgaria, what a wonderful surprise, what are the chances?"

Gellert read over the letter nodding, "we can visit him if you like, he may be helpful in our mission."

Albus nodded, he liked the idea of visiting his old school friend, "I'll write to him and say we expect to be there next week." He picked up a piece of parchment and a quill that was lying on the table, dipped the feather in ink, and began to write.

_Elphias,_

_Sorry, I haven't written you back, I've been terribly busy._

_So glad to hear your trip is going well and disappointed of course I could not join you._

_I will actually be traveling to Bulgaria myself only next week, along with a companion and Ariana, and would love to see you again._

_If you'll still be in the country or nearby please let me know and we can arrange a time to meet! What a wonderful coincidence that we shall be in the same place at such similar timeframes._

_Miss you dearly,_   
_Albus Dumbledore_

He let Gellert read it over his shoulder before folding the letter and sealing it in a white envelope.

"You could have left out the 'missed you dearly'," Gellert grumbled.

"Oh Gellert," Albus said pulling the boy into another kiss, "you know my heart belongs only to you."

He unlocked his bedroom door with his wand and carried the letter downstairs.

After a few circles of the house, Albus still has no luck locating the family owl, Cerberus. Named for the hellhound because Aberforth too had gone through a Greek mythology phase when he was young. Albus decided he'd leave the letter on the hallway table so that when the old owl returned it would see the letter and deliver it. Then he headed back to his room, wondering if it was too early to ask Gellert to go again.

He should have sent the letter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all sorry for the slow posting schedule I'm working on it, promise!  
> New chapters are going to be every Friday unless I miraculously find the time to write more.  
> Thanks for your continued support.

**Author's Note:**

> The only non-canon compliant elements of this story are the timeline. In canon, Dumbledore and Grindlewald meet during the summer and Ariana dies sometime around the end of August 1899 (although this is changed in the movie where it says she dies sometime in 1900), this was a personal choice because I like writing an autumn romance. 
> 
> I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far, I hadn't seen many Grindlewal/Dumbledore fics and I've always really thought their story would be super interesting if JK had expanded upon it. To be clear, I don't think either Grindlewald or Dumbledore is good people or good Queer representation, I just think they're fascinating characters. Let me know if there are any spelling mistakes or suggestions.


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